Valpo vs Charlotte 12/11/21 @ the ARC 12 noon

[vu84v2]

For those of you who did not realize it or see the story, Kobe King's shot was an extreme bad beat (on the over/under). Scott Van Pelt showed it (including the tipped pass just before it, as well as Charlotte's free throws and Valpo's empty prior possession) in his Sportscenter segment focusing on bad beats.

[vu84v2]

From a prior post: Our men's bb program has gone from kings of the Mid Con to kings of the Horizon League to dregs of the Missouri Valley.

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This is not exactly true. Most seasons were pretty mediocre from 2004-2005 to 2009-2010 (last few years of Mid Con membership into first three season in Horizon).

[wh]

From a prior post: Our men's bb program has gone from kings of the Mid Con to kings of the Horizon League to dregs of the Missouri Valley.

-------------------

This is not exactly true. Most seasons were pretty mediocre from 2004-2005 to 2009-2010 (last few years of Mid Con membership into first three season in Horizon).

There we were in the promised land,
Once a garden green, now stones and sand,
Here we are in the fields of time,
Our backs are bent, our hands resigned.
It's now or never.

[valpotx]

It took us 5 seasons to win the HL...which means this year?

[valpopal]

From a prior post: Our men's bb program has gone from kings of the Mid Con to kings of the Horizon League to dregs of the Missouri Valley.

-------------------

This is not exactly true. Most seasons were pretty mediocre from 2004-2005 to 2009-2010 (last few years of Mid Con membership into first three season in Horizon).

However, in that span of time Valpo only once finished lower than 4th in the conference. I would have been pleased if the team had finished in the top four the past four years.

[valpo64]

These are very unfair comparisons of the 3 leagues...absolutely NO COMPARISON of the level of competition and the number of very good teams in the MVC as compared to the other leagues.  I'm not sure, but I think our record in MVC conference play thus far is better than Loyola's in the same number of games after entering the Valley.  Let's pay at least some attention to the facts when making an analysis and comparison.

[NativeCheesehead]

Can we please stop with the Loyola comparisons? MBB record aside, Loyola was in the middle of a large renovation of their facilities before they even set foot in the MVC. Valpo four years in? We finally got beer!

[elephtheria47]

First comes beer. Next comes upgrades from beer sales. Lol. We'll fix the scoreboard with another few games.

[vu72]

Can we please stop with the Loyola comparisons?

Not quite yet.  Look, Valpo is more aliened with Evansville, not Loyola. Evansville has been in the Valley for dozens of years and still sucks.  They play in a beautiful facility provided by the city.  They don't have a football team.  Their endowment is tiny.  Loyola has an undergrad enrollment of 12,000(thus, MANY more deep pockets from which to draw contributions) and has a huge endowment.  All the other schools in the Valley (for the most part) either are big state schools or have facilities provided by the city/county where they reside.

Valpo is in a unique situation. A small school, in a small city, where academics will always be king--as it should be.  We are making slow progress and now have a President who clearly acknowledges our facility needs.  Stop the whining, please.

[wh]

These are very unfair comparisons of the 3 leagues...absolutely NO COMPARISON of the level of competition and the number of very good teams in the MVC as compared to the other leagues.  I'm not sure, but I think our record in MVC conference play thus far is better than Loyola's in the same number of games after entering the Valley.  Let's pay at least some attention to the facts when making an analysis and comparison.

You're right in an absolute sense - the MVC is better than the HL which was better than the Mid Con. When we moved to the HL from the Mid Con we had to elevate our recruiting, and elevate our coaching. We did exactly that, and over time we started competing with the likes of Butler and Milwaukee. When Butler left, Valpo filled the void and became the team to beat. And while the league was "harder," recruiting better players in a better league was easier. The same holds true with the MVC. The competition is better, but recruiting players that can compete at this level is easier. Look at our current roster. No way would any of our best players have been attracted to the HL. "Harder league" is not an excuse for mediocrity. To go from top shelf in an easier league to mediocrity in a harder league means you weren't up to the challenge; you failed.

We haven't failed yet, but to my original point if we don't make a dramatic uptick with this group over the next 2 seasons, we are well on our way to long term mediocrity. We had all better be hoping and praying for Matt and this group of guys, because our LONG term - not SHORT term- future is in their hands. Again, I repeat, if we have to start over from scratch year after next with a new coach, a dilapidated gym, and a shattered reputation, the only posters left on this board will be those fascinated by the league expansion thread.

Conversely, if/when Valpo wins a league championship and represents the Valley, it will be the greatest accomplishment in program history. And Valparaiso University will be eternally indebted to one Coach Matt Lottich.